Leslie Kean

Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist whose 2010 book UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record brought together first-person testimony from military and government officials across multiple countries, including contributors who had never previously spoken publicly about their encounters. The book reached the New York Times bestseller list and was credited with shifting media treatment of the subject toward more serious coverage.

Kean's approach was to foreground credible witnesses rather than advance a specific theory. Contributors included former Arizona Governor Fife Symington, Chilean Air Force General Ricardo Bermudez, Belgian Air Force Major General Wilfried De Brouwer, and several commercial airline pilots.

In December 2017, Kean co-authored the New York Times article that revealed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), along with Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper. The article, accompanied by declassified Navy footage of UAP encounters, is widely regarded as the catalyst for the current phase of government and public engagement with the phenomenon.

Kean continued reporting on UAP for the New York Times and other outlets. In 2023, she co-authored the article revealing David Grusch's claims about alleged government possession of non-human craft. Her journalism operates within mainstream editorial standards and relies on named, verifiable sources wherever possible.